4 of 4The JX35 is powered by a 3.5-liter engine making 265 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque.

Photo by Josh Scott

Long-term Infiniti JX35 video update

We're seeing a trend with our long-term Infiniti JX35: It's always in demand from staffers for family road trips, thanks to its combination of room and ride comfort.

In the second quarter, our black JX35 embarked on back-to-back trips to Connec-ticut and Tennessee, which landed us at our local dealer for routine maintenance twice in a matter of two weeks with the 3,750-mile service intervals. In all, we covered another 8,236 miles during the quarter for a total of 16,877 miles halfway through our year with the vehicle.

Our logbook continues to collect praise for the car's handsome exterior. “I'm a big fan of the styling. ... There are plenty of angles, curves and other design cues that make the JX standout,” said an editor. As for the interior, we remain impressed by its stylish and spacious surroundings and, in particular, the exceptional second-row legroom. And, as we approach 17,000 miles on the odometer, no unwanted squeaks or rattles have surfaced.

There were minor quibbles about the JX's adaptive cruise-control system. “The active cruise control is good at slowing down, but not so responsive when it comes to accelerating back up to speed, even if there's a wide-open lane for a mile out ahead,” wrote one driver.

The 3.5-liter V6 continues to perform well, and most find the 265 hp it provides to be just right to adequately move the 4,419-pound crossover. Bolted to the engine is a continuously variable transmission, which is common hardware throughout Nissan's product lineup but sees its first tour of duty under the luxury Infiniti banner. Many staffers have gone on record as saying they hate CVTs, but our general consensus is that this one is well matched to the V6. “Keep the vehicle in sport mode, and the gearbox does a reasonable job of mimicking gear ratios most of the time,” noted a staffer.

Thus far, we're averaging 19.5 mpg to put us a bit shy of the EPA combined rating of 20 mpg. That's a little surprising considering the heavy amount of highway driving we've logged, but then again, 19.5 mpg isn't too shabby considering that the JX is a large, seven-seat crossover with all-wheel drive.

Without a doubt, the JX35's most impressive trait is its stellar ride comfort that has won over editors with large families and ones without. With a trip down to Nashville, Tenn., and back to Detroit over the course of three days, one editor earmarked the big Infiniti not because of needed space, as it was just him and a friend, but because he wanted “magic carpet-like ride quality” for the many miles to be covered in a short amount of time. That, along with the firm seats and well-isolated cabin, had him calling it a sensational long-distance dance partner.

Looking ahead to the next six months, we're certain the requests for its services won't slow down, keeping our fingers crossed for more trouble-free motoring from “the best SUV Infiniti has ever created,” as one editor called it.